New Publication: Options for dealing with Russia in the OSCE

The OSCE is a consensus-based international organization: decisions require the approval of all 57 participating States. Especially for Western states, which condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine, this consensus principle now poses a dilemma. On the one hand, taking decisions with Russia might be seen as legitimizing Russia at the expense of core OSCE principles such as territorial integrity and the non-use of force. On the other hand, taking decisions without Russia or suspending Russia entails risks, such as forcing states dependent on Russia to side with Moscow. Dr. habil. Cornelius Friesendorf, Head of IFSH’s Centre for OSCE Research (CORE), and Professor Stefan Wolff, University of Birmingham, United Kingdom, analyse this dilemma in an article for Security and Human Rights Monitor. They argue that governments should not categorically refuse to adopt decisions made with Russia, and that they should consider the risks of suspending Russia from the OSCE. But even if this approach prevails, much depends as well on Moscow’s readiness to preserve the OSCE as a platform for dialogue.

Read the full article here.